起きる

okiru
verbBeginner
informal

to wake up (from sleep)

朝、7時に起きました。

I woke up at 7 AM.

informal

to get up (from a sitting or lying position)

ソファから起きて、テレビを消した。

I got up from the sofa and turned off the TV.

formal

to occur; to happen (intransitive)

問題が起きる前に対策を講じた。

We took measures before the problem occurred.

Collocations

朝起きるto wake up in the morning急に起きるto wake up suddenly病気が起きるto develop an illness

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

起き抜けphrase
just after waking up
起き上がるphrase
to sit up or stand up

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

'起きる' is often used with time expressions like '朝' (morning) or '急に' (suddenly) to specify when the action occurs.

Gold Rule

Intransitive Verb

'起きる' is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. For example, you cannot say '問題を起きる' (to wake up a problem).

📖Word Origin

From the kanji '起' (to rise) and 'きる' (to do). The verb combines these elements to convey the action of waking up or occurring.

📝Usage Notes

The verb '起きる' is commonly used in everyday speech to describe waking up from sleep or getting up from a seated position. In formal contexts, it can also mean 'to occur' or 'to happen.'

Word Breakdown

to rise
root
+
きる
to do
suffix
Noted on May 2, 2026JAEN